Drive Recorder touts advanced safety combined with high-resolution recording and playback

LONG BEACH, CALIF. – June 13, 2016 (MEDIAWIRE) – KENWOOD USA is introducing its first advanced safety product for the North American aftermarket. Expected to ship this month with an MSRP of $250, the Drive Recorder (DRV-410) is a window-mounted, front-facing camera with recording capabilities and enhanced driver assistance features.

The Drive Recorder features a front-view, wide-angle camera that is designed to excel in nighttime and low-light situations. Its Super HD 2304x1296-pixel capability and High Dynamic Range (HDR) image processing result in video that shows details of an incident with pinpoint clarity. A built-in shock sensor allows the Drive Recorder to instantly begin storing video and audio from an impact or collision while the vehicle is parked, and incident locations are geotagged with onboard GPS.

The Drive Recorder can be set to continuously record video to a removable SD card. (An 8GB card is included, and it can accommodate up to a 32GB SD card.) Video can be viewed on the internal screen, or by downloading KENWOOD’s PC application and transferring the SD card to a computer. The unit turns on and off with vehicle ignition and can also record when the vehicle is parked thanks to its built-in rechargeable battery.
In its driver assistance package, the Drive Recorder includes lane departure warning, emitting a series of audible tones when the driver strays outside of road lane markers. Collision avoidance monitors the distance and speed of the car or object in front of the vehicle and sounds an alert if an impact is imminent. The sensor system also includes a distraction deterrent, which alerts the driver when stopped traffic ahead of the vehicle has started moving. Each of the driver assistance features can be selectively turned on or off to fit driver preference.

“Turn on the TV at any point in the day, and nearly every new car commercial is talking about the safety and driver assistance features of its new vehicle,” said Rob Sutton, director of sales. “We felt it was the right time to introduce our camera to the U.S. market. It’s been a proven winner in Japan for a number of years, so our dealers can be assured that it’s road-proven and reliable.”

The Drive Recorder should be hardwired into the vehicle ignition system as it comes with permanent mounting hardware. Professional installation is recommended. A cigarette lighter cord is also included. For more information, visit www.kenwood.com/usa.